


The Road to Nowhere

by TruebornAlpha



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Comfort Reading, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Help, Jealousy, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Porn with Feelings, Slow Burn, Tenderness, smut with feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-06 09:14:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11597589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TruebornAlpha/pseuds/TruebornAlpha
Summary: It's been a long time coming.Keith and Shiro take a road trip.Written for Sheith Positivity Week 2017!Day 1:SeaDay 2:StarsDay 3:Summer RainDay 4:FireworksDay 5:SwimmingDay 6:RecreationDay 7:Free Day/Conclusion





	1. Day 1: Sea

His mothers were watching him eat breakfast and trying not to be obvious about it. His ma kept walking in and out of the kitchen, refilling her tea cup just to down it like she thought it’d be taken away. They were nervous and didn’t want to admit it. This was possibly the tensest breakfast they’d had since he’d returned, and that was saying something.

Shiro didn’t have much, just a single backpack that had belonged to him in high school. It wasn’t even all the way filled. When he’d come down from the Castle of Lions, he’d had even less. He hadn’t needed more than the clothes on his back when he was afraid his family would shun him. That was over a week ago, a week since the paladins went their separate ways to enjoy their first trek back on Earth for long enough to matter. Time was as unrelenting an enemy as the Galra, but they’d finally found their opening.  _Shore leave._  It was a chance to revisit the lives they’d left behind, to see if they could still find a way to fit into them.

Shiro wasn’t sure they would all return to the Castle, but that was what mattered the most. They finally had a choice.

He still wasn’t sure where he stood.

He’d had one week with his family, a family who’d mourned him and moved on, a family who remembered the best of what he had because grief was kindest on the brightest of memories, a family who still cried the first night he’d walked through their front door. It had been amazing and terrifying in equal measure. If he thought about it for too long, Shiro thought he would scream.

“Aren’t you going to eat more?” His mother asked. There was more grey in her hair than he remembered. Shiro didn’t think there had ever been a time in his life that she’d forgotten to polish her copper highlights. She’d lost weight, too. The years had left her frail and small, fragile in a way he’d never seen her before, and Shiro hated himself for thinking it.

He remembered how different it had been after he’d moved out to study at the Garrison. How coming home at the end of the semester taught him to worry that his parents were really getting older. It had terrified him then. He wasn’t sure how to feel now.

“I’ll be back at the end of the week.” He promised, and gathered her into his arms. She’d been shorter than him since he was fourteen, and Shiro was suddenly struck by how long ago that was.

He wanted to be kinder for them. He wanted to be gentler, but the first time they’d held his hand, he’d been reduced to tears, not the other way around. There was so much he wished they didn’t know, so much he intentionally kept from them, but he couldn’t decide if he would regret not telling him.

“Are you sure your friend doesn’t want to come in?” His ma asked, looking out the window to the figure that lingered on their front lawn. Keith slouched against her car, trying to make himself look smaller, but mostly just making the nosiest of their neighbors extremely curious. 

Keith had helped him fill the car with supplies, but he’d refused to come in. Shiro had asked three times. He wished he’d asked a fourth.

“He’s fine. He doesn’t like olives.”

Shiro gestured to his omelette with a wry smile. Keith would eat them, he knew. He’d pick them out of the dish, shove them into a little pile and chew them as quickly as possible without even making a face. But he’d never liked them. It had taken Shiro months to figure out, when they were younger.

“Just take care of yourself.” He found himself wrapped in their arms as they both hugged him tight, wanting to say more but all of them failing to find the words. “And call us to let us know how you’re doing.”

“I will, I promise.” Shiro shoved the rest of his food into his mouth and slipped out of their embrace. Waving goodbye tugged a little at his heart, even though he knew that he’d be back. 

For the longest time, he’d never thought he’d be able to come home again. Now, he wasn’t sure it felt like home at all. Shiro didn’t know if he’d changed or if this place had, but it was hard to accept that the home he carried inside was static and perfect, but the one on earth have moved on and changed without him. Life had kept going, it was stupid to think that it had somehow stopped to wait for him to get back.

“Drive carefully! No speeding, this isn’t a rocket ship.” His mother teased, throwing an arm around his ma’s shoulders. “This trip was a good idea. I’m glad you took the time to plan _et._ ”

“Mom.”

“Did you pack snacks? We can some mini bags of rocket chips. Has your friend had breakfast?” She asked, even if she very well knew that Keith hadn’t had  _her_  breakfast.

_“Mom!”_

His mothers laughed as Shiro threw his bag into the back of the old car, refusing to look at Keith who leaned against the car door with a look of shocked realization.

“I know where you get it now.” Keith whispered as Shiro scowled harder, feeling all of five years old again.

“You, get in the car.” Shiro pointed at Keith. “Mom, Ma, I’ll call you both later. Bye!” He didn’t waste any more time and hopped into his seat. Keith barely had time to close the door before they were off, pulling out into the nearly empty streets under the bright summer sun.

Keith smoothed out his itinerary, mentally running through their supplies and their planned stops. He’d been looking forward to this trip since the moment they’d touched down back on Earth. The other Paladins had run off to visit their families while Coran and Allura went on a worldwide sight-seeing tour and Keith was happy for them all.

They’d needed a chance to come home again. 

Keith just felt like he was already there. 

There was no one waiting for him back in the dusty shack he’d lived in after the Garrison just like there hadn’t been anyone to care he’d gotten kicked out or anyone to notice he’d disappeared for over a year. Shiro had promised him a week to just relax and kick back on a road trip, just the two of them, like they’d always talked about in the Garrison but never had time for. That made everything worth it.

Shiro didn’t know where Keith had gone to since he landed, and Keith had no intention of telling him. He didn’t need Shiro’s concern, and more importantly, he didn’t need his pity. Besides, Shiro had enough on his plate. It had been years since he’d ridden in it, but Keith still recognized the car they used. It belonged to Shiro’s ma. Barring Galra attack, they were going to have to come back just to return it.

“I’ve mapped out our itinerary. We’re going to be driving in shifts if we want to make everything.”

Shiro gave a noncommittal grunt and Keith frowned, looking back down at his carefully planned list. He’d outlined all the roads, every hotel and campsite for maximum efficiency. They wouldn’t waste their freedom on anything that wasn’t important. Keith could already feel the time ticking away, all too soon they’d be back on the castle fighting a war that they were still outnumbered in, and his chance would be gone forever.

It would work this time, he’d make it work.

He glanced over at Shiro who was watching the road silently. “Hey so, you’re moms seem really nice.”

“Yeah.” Something in Shiro’s face softened, a happiness that had been missing all those months they’d been in space, and Keith felt something in his chest tighten. “It was tough at first, they thought I’ve been dead for two years, but it’s…it’s good to be home. I’m glad they know I’m okay, I made them worry so much.”

Keith twisted the itinerary nervously in his hands. His stomach plummeted, but he didn’t hesitate to offer, “We don’t have to do this, you know. We could go back, you could spend the week with your family. I see you every day and they’ve missed you so much.”

“No.” Shiro said, quick enough that Keith looked up. It must have surprised Shiro, too, because he fell silent all too soon. Keith waited, hoping to give him the chance to explain, but Shiro never did, and the quiet between them made Keith feel like he’d tripped over his own feet. He reached out slowly, fumbling with the radio, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Shiro’s frown deepen.

Something distinctly bright was playing on the radio. Keith kept it because he couldn’t find anything else.

“Did you ever have… rocket cookies?” Shiro asked softly, clearing his throat. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “I haven’t thought about them in years. Those sugar cookies that they always sell in the red packing with the big yellow letters? They’re not really rocket cookies, they’re called Tiger or something. You can get them for a dollar almost anywhere. Or you could.”

“No.” Keith said, quietly wracking his brain to try and remember the last time he’d been in a human supermarket, or even the last time he’d cared about cookies. “Are those the ones with chocolate on them?”

Shiro looked away, voice gone mellow with uncertainty. “No. They’re not.”

“Oh.” Keith didn’t know what to say. Silence settled uncomfortably between them as he turned to look out of the window. The bright California sky was bluer than he remembered. The colors always looked different when an alien sun burned overhead. The sky stretched out over the ocean until the line between them blurred. He shifted in his seat, pulling at hot skin where he’d started sticking to the faux leather, and leaned against the door.

The road wound down the coastline, perfectly beautiful. The whole trip was supposed to be perfect. The perfect excuse to spend time with Shiro alone, the perfect set up to something more, the perfect chance he’d been waiting years to take. He’d poured everything into making sure every detail was just right and already, they’d run out of things to say.

He scrambled to try and fix everything.

“We could pick some up if you’d like?” Keith suggested, turning back to Shiro. “There should be a store by where we’re set to make camp tonight and we can check to see if they have any. I have some other snacks too, I wasn’t sure what you wanted. Anything’s better than green goo, right?” He laughed weakly.

Suddenly the car turned right, hard enough that Keith was straining against his seat belt before he could regain his balance. Beneath them, the car’s tires crunched over pebbles as they rolled off the asphalt, coming to an unsteady stop by the side of the road. For a moment, Keith was irrationally worried that he’d somehow found a way to ruin everything, but Shiro’s attention was elsewhere.

“Keith, look.”

Beyond them was a long, empty stretch of impossibly blue ocean. It stretched farther than the eye could see, shimmering into light just before the horizon met it. The shore cut off sharply to pebbles and coral, but pretty like a picture as long as Keith didn’t have to worry about getting his heel cut on anything.  

The last time Keith had gone swimming on Earth, it had been at the Garrison pool as part of a physical education requirement. Lap swimming was a hobby he could have learned to love if he ever had the resources for it, but the idea of splashing around some sandy beach just seemed like more of a hassle than it was worth. But this… this looked like a postcard.

A distinctly human postcard.

“Can we stay here a while?” Shiro asked. He’d already opened his door.

Behind them, the air still whooshed as cars sped past, drowning out the sound of their radio. They needed to drive for six more hours if they were going to make camp before sunset. If they didn’t, they might be stuck in the middle of nowhere all night. But Shiro was smiling, turning his face into the afternoon breeze, and something in Keith’s stomach fluttered nervously. “We can probably track down those cookies when we stop for gas.”

Something must’ve shown on his face, because Shiro laughed.

“Forget about the cookies and the plans.” Shiro grinned and held out his hands, pulling Keith towards the beach. He looked so young and happy, the burden of leadership lifted from his shoulders just for a moment and Keith felt like he couldn’t breathe. It was like the last few years had fallen away and they were back in the Garrison, two kids with nothing but hope in their future. When Shiro laughed, Keith was drawn in before he even realized he wore a matching smile.

“Are you seriously taking a break twenty minutes after we left your house?” Keith tried to be serious, but Shiro was dragging him across the shore, tiny shells crunching under his feet.

“C’mon.” Shiro teased. “When was the last time that you and I just had time to have fun like this? It’s just the two of us right?”

Keith knew the exact date, the last time they’d been together before training for the Kerberos mission had taken up too much of Shiro’s time and they hadn’t been able to find another moment to spare. And then the year after, when he replayed it over and over in his head, wondering if he could have said something that could have saved Shiro. Or at least said goodbye. He shrugged it off, playing it casual.

“A while, I guess?”

Shiro hesitated for the first time, offering him a smile and a look that said more than Keith was ready to face before slowly stripping out of his t-shirt, tossing it carelessly behind them and suddenly Keith couldn’t focus on anything else.

They all bore symbols of battles past, but the angry lines that cut across Shiro’s skin told stories of a time he didn’t have the paladin armor to protect him. Shiro hadn’t had any of them the last time he’d seen Shiro like this.

Something in Shiro’s face softened, almost sad though Keith didn’t know why. He squeezed Keith’s hand with his metal fingers before recovering with a smile. “Then I owe you some fun. Race you to the ocean?”

Keith squawked in outrage as Shiro took off running without a proper count-off, before racing across the sand after him. As they dragged each other under the waves, the shadows on the beach lengthened.

They wasted a whole lot more than twenty minutes before they dragged themselves back to the car, dripping wet and laughing.


	2. Day 2: Stars

As their little car drove down the lone road that cut through endless sand, Keith was surprised to find he’d actually missed the desert.

The rocky wastes had been nothing but an inconvenience a lifetime ago. The days of searching through caves and outcroppings for any sign of the energy that hummed in his bones was hot and frustrating, the nights in his old stifling shack were not much better. He remembered lying awake, staring at the cracked, flaking ceiling with all the windows boarded to keep out whatever chill tried to bleed through, holding as tightly as he could to his threadbare blanket. That place had been purgatory, waiting for something unknown to happen and wishing for the impossible.

And yet, there’d been a freedom that he missed. The days of isolation were comfortable and familiar, and there was a mystery demanding to be solved. After he’d lost Shiro, the Garrison, and all of his dreams at once, it had been an unexpected refuge.

They made good time, switching off driving whenever one of them was too tired. Keith liked driving while Shiro slept and the road around them emptied as the landscape grew dustier. The silence was a peaceful one, and the awkwardness between them had faded. It was easier to talk now that they’d started, laughing and joking over the hours. The farther from home they went, the more Shiro seemed at ease. Keith wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Keith just wanted to keep going. At this rate, they’d never make it to the campsite in time. They’d needed to stop earlier, so Shiro could take apart his arm, and wipe away the sand and salt from its internal systems. Keith made it his business to know as much as he could about the prosthetic, or at least, as much as Shiro was willing to share. They’d stopped on the side of the road, drying in the hot sun as Shiro worked in the back seat of their car, taking apart his prosthetic even if he couldn’t fully detach it.

It wasn’t bad, but it put a serious dent Keith’s schedule. He had no idea how they could reach their goal, but more stops were out of the question. He figured he could drive the whole way if he needed to. Besides, he’d flown through far worse. He would argue there had been higher stakes, but no, Keith didn’t think there were any stakes higher than this.

He’d had a long, quiet week to think this through. When the others had went their separate ways, there was no shortage of invitations, but Keith didn’t have a place where he wouldn’t be a guest. So he’d gathered his courage, and taken the one invitation that had been waiting for him the longest.

It was a gamble that Keith intended to win.

“If you stare any harder at the windshield, it’ll fall off.”

Keith turned to see Shiro squinting against the setting sun, but smiling at him, his face still tucked into the head rest of his seat.

“I’m just concentrating. There’s a long way to go to reach the campsite.” Keith said shortly, then glanced over guiltily in case Shiro thought he’d been blaming him. His friend didn’t seem to notice, completely relaxed as he stretched back against the seat.

“Why don’t we just stop here? We can go off road a bit, find a nice place. Camping here will be just as good.” Shiro pointed out the window at the rocky desert landscape and Keith scowled.

“But we didn’t get as far as we were supposed to.”

“We don’t have to go anywhere, isn’t that the point?” Shiro teased. “It’s a roadtrip, the trip is the most important thing. Plus, don’t you need to take a break? It’s a little confined in here.”

Keith sighed and slowed the car, swallowing his frustration. He could make this work. They would have to. Inwardly he reminded himself that they didn’t  _really_ have to get all the way to the campsite. Trivializing his goals left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth, but Keith forced himself to adapt. This new place would still be special, he’d find a way to salvage the rest of the day. It was going to be perfect. If Shiro was still smiling, then he was still on track.

They pulled over and the old car bumped over the rough rocky ground until they found an outcropping that seemed like it could offer them a little shelter. Shiro popped out of the car and breathed deeply, throwing his arms wide.

“This looks just like the Garrison, doesn’t it? I remember how we used to sneak out into the desert after lights out to watch the stars. I’ll bet the view tonight will be beautiful.”

Keith snorted.

“They kind of ruined it after they showed their face. You can’t really reach for the stars if you’re too busy covering your ass. Everything about discovery and hope, that was all bullshit, wasn’t it.” Keith grumbled. It wasn’t a question worth answering anyway, and he was busy yanking out the tent and sleeping bags Shiro’d been able to rustle up from deep in the Shirogane attic. They were more than enough for a few nights. There was a system to this. Keith wouldn’t be distracted. The portable lanterns came first, like he didn’t trust the setting sun to stick around for another minute.

“It wasn’t all bad.”

Keith laughed, almost surprised by his own bitterness. The Garrison was an old wound that never quite healed the way it was supposed to, and if he did some digging, it wouldn’t be hard to find fresh blood. He pushed it back down, banished it just as sharply as his frustration. “It was bad enough. If they hadn’t kicked me out, I probably would’ve just left… You were the best thing in that place.”

Shiro came up to him, holding the other end of the tent, a peculiar expression on his face, but without a word, he moved closer, in perfect sync with Keith. Together they pulled the tent up to full height.

They found an easy rhythm, one they’d built over years of training and friendship. Or the first time that day, things finally felt  _right_. This was how it was supposed to be, moving together, knowing and trusting each other. There was no one on Earth or anywhere in the universe who understood him like Shiro did, no one who’d ever taken the time to try. Keith knew he let himself get too focused sometimes and that he sometimes acted out rashly, driven by emotions he could barely control, but Shiro was different. He didn’t care about Keith’s shortcomings. He was the first person to ever treat Keith like an equal and a friend.

He watched Shiro build the campfire and pull out food for dinner, just as efficiently as always. They’d come into their own as leaders, both in different ways with different styles, but he always looked up to Shiro. Where Keith floundered, it felt like Shiro excelled. Someday, Keith promised to prove that he was just as good and that he was worthy of Shiro’s trust.

Today didn’t seem to be the day. He dug through the back of the car, searching through their supplies before standing back with a disgusted huff. Of course, nothing could go right tonight. How hard was it to just have a few days alone with Shiro where they didn’t have any problems?

“We forgot the extra blankets. This is so stupid, I can’t believe we left them behind.”

“Hm?” Shiro looked up and gave Keith a lopsided smile. “That’s okay, we’ll be warm enough with the fire, and I’m sure we’ll think of something if it gets too cold tonight.”

Keith wanted to kick himself. This was ridiculous. He’d spent months out in the desert. He knew how cold the nights could be, how miserable they were if you weren’t careful. After two years in climate controlled suits and equally convenient lions, he’d gotten careless. He tore the car apart like there was any chance he’d find them tucked under a chair, or rolled up beneath a hidden floorboard. He didn’t hear Shiro until he was right behind him.

“Come on, hey, if you’re that worried about it, I could keep you warm?”

Keith scowled, Shiro was completely missing the point. He sounded like he was laughing, but this hadn’t just started on the wrong foot, it’d been on a dislocated knee with a cracked femur. He didn’t need Shiro trying to comfort him. Then there was a hand on his shoulder, pulling him out from where he’d been splayed across the car’s backseat.

“Keith. Keith, it’s fine. Keith come on. We’ve survived on alien planets. We can last a couple of nights without a blanket.”

“I just, I wanted this to go well.” Keith gave up and sat down by the fire with a quiet snarl, channeling all of his frustration into anger. “We never have enough time.”

“We have plenty of time, what are you talking about?” Shiro asked, but Keith didn’t answer. With a sigh, he handed Keith a sandwich and a bottle of water, settling in by the fire as the sun slowly set. 

The sky blazed with reds and golds, looking like the desert had spilled across the horizon before softening to purple. Darkness closed in around them the stars began to appear. Shiro leaned back on the hard packed earth, his sleeping bag stretched beneath him, as he watched the specks of light brighten, faintly at first, then bloom across the sky like scattered crystal.

“I forget what they look like from down here.” He said, trying again to cross that awkward silence between them. “You get so used to actually being out there that it’s hard to remember a time when we were down here, dreaming about what it would be like.”  _Back when there wasn’t a war and things were simple. Two friends who were almost something more before the universe tore them apart._ Shiro looked over at Keith, more meaning in his question than just the words. “Do you ever think about the way it used to be?”

Keith grunted, perhaps sharper than he meant to, more clipped than Shiro deserved, but when he turned to him, Shiro looked away. His heart squeezed uncomfortably, the same way it would’ve if he’d missed a step, trapped in that startling moment of free fall before he could catch himself. Even after it was over, Keith couldn’t immediately shake off the mark it left.

Shiro’s hands curled into fists, digging into the dusty earth. “I wanted to be the first person to see beyond Pluto.”

 _You were._  Keith thought, a kernel of hate and regret catching him off-guard. It fizzled out as quickly as it flared up, but it left the space it hurt raw and vulnerable.

“Now that we’re back home, we could start over? Maybe we could go back to the Garrison sometime, tell them everything we’ve seen.” Shiro didn’t look over, just stared up towards the stars as if he could find an answer there. “We could be real people again, have a real home, a dog, not have to worry about fighting a war anymore.”

Keith felt a bubble of panic burst in his chest, helpless useless rage that almost knocked the wind from him.  _Real_? As if nothing they were doing now was real? He couldn’t go back home again, there wasn’t any place to go back to. There was no future here, no family. He wasn’t even human like the rest of them. Shiro talked about going back to something that Keith had never had. The castle had become more of a home than anyplace had ever been and the Paladins were his family.

If all of that ended, he’d be alone again.

It felt like everything was falling apart. All of his carefully laid plans for this week to prove himself to Shiro. A real chance for Keith to tell Shiro how he felt when the moment was right and finally pour his heart into Shiro’s hands. This was his shot to admit that he needed Shiro and to see if they could be something real together. But all Shiro wanted was a future that Keith knew he’d never be a part of.

“Hey.” A warm arm wrapped around Keith’s shoulders, startling him from his spiraling thoughts. “Are you okay?”

Keith wanted to pull away, but in the same breath, he never wanted to leave. The words caught in his throat, a lump he couldn’t swallow back down. Shiro looked like a star, with fire light reflecting off his skin, painting him in red and gold. Keith had spent years chasing his absence, long before the Kerberos mission and its tragic outcome, and long after, more often with the Red Lion at his back, and once with the Black Lion as well. Keith spent so long telling himself he could finally reach him, he didn’t know how to react when it was all slipped away.

“It’s cold.” Keith rasped around the words, but just as he meant to move away, Shiro urged him closer, tucking him against his side. Keith had no room to hesitate, not when Shiro wrapped himself around him, their sandwiches and crackers all but forgotten. Shiro’s arm rested under his neck, like a pillow. Slowly, carefully, Keith adjusted until it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

“I wasn’t kidding about what I said.” Shiro whispered, and in the middle of the night, with the darkness closing around them, it felt like a confession. Keith’s gut clenched, the weight of acceptance almost more than he could bare, but he turned his face towards the heavens and refused to let Shiro share the burden.

“I know.”

Maybe Keith was already too late, but right now, it was just him and Shiro and sky full of stars. He might have to say goodbye, but not tonight.


	3. Day 3: Summer Rain

Rocky desert gave way to flat empty scrub, mile after mile of nothing. The rare tiny town or roadside gas station was the only thing that broke up the monotony. They stopped to eat at little diners, sharing giant stacks of pancakes and greasy baskets of onion rings. Every time they saw a tourist trap with the world’s largest ball of twine or the world’s largest toilet, Shiro insisted that they stop to take pictures.

Every single time, Shiro would make jokes and laugh. It was everything Keith had ever wanted. For a little while, he stopped caring about how quickly they traveled.

They slowly turned south, scrubland becoming endless farms that stretched out towards the horizon in every direction. Keith switched off driving, settling into the passenger seat, listening to whatever local radio station they managed to pick up, but mostly watching Shiro. It felt like there was no one else in the world besides the two of them. Things were finally going right. Until they weren’t.

The car sputtered, almost loud enough to shake Keith out of his reverie. 

They still had a long way to go. Keith planned on passing through two more tiny towns before they got to their camping site. Then beyond that was the Great Lake, a vacation stop Shiro had last visited when he was eight and Keith had only ever heard of. There was supposed to be an Air and Sky “ _Musume_ ” somewhere along the way, with definitive proof that aliens walked among them. Shiro promised he was already preemptively insulted on Keith and Allura’s behalf. Mostly they both agreed Coran would be flattered.

Overhead, the sky rumbled with it. It had been dark and overcast for hours, almost like a threat.

“Hey…” Shiro started, and Keith stopped trying to decide what junk food he wanted. They hadn’t trained in days. It made him feel vaguely sick sometimes. Tomorrow, Keith promised himself, he would fix that. They could both use a jog.

“Wanna switch?” Keith guessed.

“Uh, just give me a minute first.” The car sputtered again as Shiro pulled over and switched it off with a frown. “Just stay here.”

Keith had no intention of stay put and hopped out of the car as Shiro opened the hood, studying the engine as if either one of them had any hope of figuring out what was wrong. Even though they were pilots, they’d both studied enough basic engineering to handle minor repairs on a space craft. The Garrison cross-trained their cadets for all the worst possible scenarios, just in case they were stranded and the engineer incapacitated. After a year or so in space, they’d gotten fairly proficient. None of that helped them when it came to a car engine.

“What’s wrong with it?” He asked tentatively as Shiro checked the connections of the wires and tubes. 

 “No idea.” 

“Well, we need to figure it out.” Keith ground out. It was the only option. There was no turning back now.

Thick blue smoke was wafting out, choking them. There was nothing to do but back away, coughing and sputtering. 

Keith felt that rising, helpless frustration. Things were going so well for once! Shiro had been happy, they’d been getting closer. If he could just keep them on schedule, Shiro would be able to see how much planning Keith had done and then…and then… 

“Damn it!” He kicked the side of the car.

“Hey, calm down. It’s going to be okay. Maybe we’ll need to call someone?” Shiro was always so composed. Normally it was a comfort. Now it was just the brutal realization that this didn’t mean as much to him. It wasn’t  _real._

“Call who, Shiro? We’re in the middle of a goddamned cornfield miles away from anywhere and-“ A fat drop of rain splashed down on Keith’s face, interrupting him. “Oh  _perfect_.”

“Ma must have roadside assistance on it. I’ll call her, we’ll figure it out. Why are you acting like this?”  
  
“Because you don’t care!” Keith snapped. “You don’t know and you don’t care what this-” He choked on his anger, lost himself in it like he hadn’t in so long, like he didn’t need to with four other people grounding him. He cared about them, about all of them, more than he’d allowed himself to care about anyone in so long, and at the center of it all was his best friend. Now he faced losing everything, and Shiro just didn’t see it.  
  
The worst part of it was that he still couldn’t blame Shiro. After everything the Galra put him through, he deserved a chance to go back. 

“Of course I care.” Shiro was immediate contrite and something in Keith’s chest came loose, emotions unbound and spilling out of him before he could catch hold. Overhead, the clouds opened, rain slowly starting to fall, but growing steadily with every furious beat of his heart.

“Do you? Because all you’ve been talking about is how great things used to be and how much you can’t wait to be back here again once it’s all over. You don’t-” Keith flung his arms out wide as the rain plastered his clothes to his skin, soaking him in warm summer rain. “You have no idea where I was the last week. All the rest of you got to go home to your families and people who missed you and love you, and you know who missed me? No one. No one even noticed I was gone, Shiro. When all this is over, the rest of you can just go back to your lives. But I don’t have anyplace to go back to, I-I…”

“Keith.” Shiro’s voice was soft, almost lost in the driving rain, but Keith pulled away.

“I thought this week, just you and me… you’re the only home I have, Shiro. And it all goes wrong.” Keith choked on his tears, grateful that the rain could hide them. “I just wanted. I could tell you…”

He didn’t want just anyone. He wasn’t looking for fame or recognition. He just thought that, even if Shiro didn’t want to be with him, Keith could convince him that he was worth keeping in his life. This was his last chance.  **  
**  
Shiro was soaked to the bone, his damp hair plastered to his forehead, shivering in his faded cotton shirt. Why would anyone want this? What did Keith have to offer him? But all Keith knew how to do was hold on. He’d gone as far as Voltron could carry them, crossed galaxies in the span of a blink, and the only peace he’d found was at Shiro’s side. How could he give it all up?  
  
Shiro took a step forward, and Keith tried to move back, but the ground beneath his feet sloped, turned muddy where the beaten path dropped into the roadside. He could run, he still had that choice.  
  
“Keith stop. Please.”  
  
Then Shiro was pulling him into his arms, embracing him so tightly it almost hurt.

“I-I’m sorry.” Keith said, knotting his hands into Shiro’s wet shirt.

“Shhhh, don’t apologize.” He brought his fingers down the side of Keith’s cheek, coaxing his chin up. “Things were easier before all of this. Before  _this_.” He curled his metal fingers before gently stroking them through Keith’s hair. “I’m not the same person I used to be, I’m angrier, I’m broken. They tried to make me into a monster and some days, I’m not sure they failed.”

“Shiro, that’s not-”

“Let me finish.” Shiro cut him off gently. “I missed my family, but the person they used to know is gone. They thought I was dead and they moved on. I love them, but I’m different, I don’t fit in that life anymore. I don’t know if I ever could. I don’t know what I am. I can’t be the person you used to know either back when we were in the Garrison together, even though I want to be. I thought if we came back here, maybe I’d remember how.”

“You’re still yourself.” Keith’s reply was swift and fiercely protective. “I don’t care that you’ve changed. We both have, but you’re still you. All the parts of you that really matter. I don’t want to go back for some past you, I just want  _you_.”

Shiro was smiling at him, his eyes crinkled at the corners. It felt like a punch to the gut, and Keith didn’t know to defend himself.  
  
“When I’m with you, I don’t doubt who I am. You’ve seen me at my worst and you still… When I’m with you, I don’t have to worry about being anyone else. Keith, you’re my best friend. You’ve been my best friend ever since, ever since you said 19.4 wasn’t that impressive.”   
  
Keith cracked a smile, without meaning to, old memories made sweet with time, but he remembered the endless frustration that came with trying to beat nineteen-goddamn-four seconds in the Garrison’s flight simulator.   
  
“I wanted this trip to be fun for you. If I’d have known you didn’t want the week alone, I’d never have let you go.” Shiro shivered, and Keith didn’t stop himself from reaching up, gently cupping his cheek. Shiro let him. Shiro never stopped letting him. “You’ve always had me, Keith. I just wish you’d let me stay.” 

“I wanted this to be perfect so you’d never want to leave.”

“It’s always been perfect.”

The kiss was as easy as breathing, Shiro bending slightly and Keith stretching up to meet him. It was as gentle as their confession, bodies fitting together like they were two pieces of a single whole. Keith dizzily wondered why it had taken so long to get here and why he’d been so worried. He felt elemental with the storm in his veins, the warm surety of Shiro’s hands keeping him grounded.

Thunder cracked overhead loud enough that they pulled apart with a startled yelp that turned into breathless laughter. They slammed the hood closed and made a dash back to the car, soaking through the seats and pooling water on the floor. The windows fogged with humidity as they shoved and teased, wringing out ruined clothes on each other and rummaging for towels that barely helped at all.

They leaned together, sharing warmth as they watched the rain with their hands clasped tight.

Shiro was right, it really was perfect.


	4. Day 4: Fireworks

After three hours by a damp roadside, following a long afternoon hiding from a storm, Keith had been happy to accept any help. Just before he could seriously consider bringing in their lions, they’d been able to get in touch with a local towing service and garage. They’d been dragged through a town center that consisted of a single road and a grand total of fifteen buildings, only to find that they’d need at least another day before their car was ready to go. According to the soft spoken mechanic with a harelip, they were short on supplies because they didn’t get a lot of business to begin with. Keith believed it. He was a little surprised that their town had a name to begin with.  

But she’d been able to give them a ride to the closest motel, a quiet, rundown place with only two cars in its parking lot.

“Hm.”

Shiro made a noise, low in his throat. He’d just gotten off the phone with his mothers, filling them in. It was a conversation Keith only caught snippets off, but he found himself worrying now. He’d never been particularly picky about where he stayed, but this was supposed to be their vacation, a chance to choose where they slept, even if it was on a threadbare budget. Shiro moved across the room, taking in the beaten air conditioning box. Its LED display was cracked, but beside a couple of wires duct taped together was a jerry rigged power switch.

Shiro’s face was pointedly blank as he turned it on. It sputtered and coughed before finally emitting a thread of cool air to try and disperse the humidity that followed summer rain. It sounded a little like it was dying.

“It’s bad, but we can work something out. Maybe get a different room?”

“Keith, relax.” Shiro said gently, moving to lean into his space, nudging him with his shoulder, just a little. “It’s no shack, but the company makes up for it.”

Keith couldn’t help but smile.

This wasn’t the plan, but to hell with the plan. Things somehow seemed a whole lot better when he could still feel Shiro’s lips on his own, and his whole body buzzed with electric anticipation. They’d both been running, pulling each other in two different directions. Shiro could only look back to a time he’d lost and Keith charging forward, promising himself that he’d left the past behind. Now, they were still, finding a gentle equilibrium in one space with two hearts.

Being trapped in the middle of nowhere never felt so right.

Outside, the rain tapered off, replaced by the last of the day’s heat as the sun slowly set. For the first time that day, Keith was able to peel off his damp socks, kicking his ruined sneakers to the side. He’d sloshed every time the mechanic had talked to them. After a shared glance, he and Shiro dropped their shoes outside the door, hoping they’d dry before someone decided to steal them.

Being stuck through the storm had been both squishier and less boring than Keith would’ve thought, but it still felt like he’d been waiting years for the chance to finally get out of everything soggy.

“Was the floor damp before I took of my shoes or…?” He asked, and Shiro snorted, running  hand through his hair. Uncombed and damp, all he did was make it stand in odd angles. Keith was kind of terribly charmed.

“I’m going to wash this off. I think I have ten layers of mud between my toes.” Shiro announced, heading to the bathroom, and he looked so genuinely appalled by it that Keith had to laugh. And things were good. Things were great. He heard the shower go off, and started sorting through his things, grateful that at least their bags had survived the storm. A bath wouldn’t be too bad either, he thought. It might be cleaner to spend the night in their sleeping bags. Keith was debating the merits of it when the door squeaked open, and Shiro walked out in nothing but a towel wrapped high on his waist, smelling faintly like cheap hotel soap.

Keith stared open mouthed before he finally caught himself and looked away, furiously blushing. It wasn’t the first time that they’d seen each other like this, years in the Garrison had stripped them of modesty and close quarters in the Castle was the same. Something had shifted, some tiny change that had then changed everything. A line had been crossed and suddenly, they both felt it. The air between them crackled with tension and Shiro immediately retreated.

When he returned, he was dressed and Keith was already waiting in warm clothes, poised on the edge between restless and excited. “I was thinking we could get something to eat?” He offered, an escape from things that seemed too overwhelming. After waiting so long for this, Keith couldn’t believe that he now felt it was all too fast. Shiro nodded gratefully and they stepped out together.

The storm had passed as quickly as it came, clouds rolling back to reveal a lazy blue mid-summer sky. The air was heavy and sticky, and the ground was still damp, but that didn’t seem to stop the people from the town from enjoying the early evening. They strolled slowly through the town, close enough that elbows bumped and fingertips brushed, testing out the new boundaries between them with an almost giddy excitement.

“They’ve got vendors set up on the street. Looks like we can get something to eat there.” Shiro gestured and Keith was immediately distracted by the smell of cooking meats and fried everything.

There were more tiny stalls set up than there were buildings on the main street, but seemingly out of the ground, people crept up, bringing life to the beaten patch of land. Even with the threat of another downpour hanging over their heads, they moved like they were racing against the sun. Keith knew they’d been gone for a while, but he was pretty sure people didn’t normally do that on a whim.

“You boys come down for the Summer festival?” One of the vendors called out, giving them a less than subtle once-over. Shiro caught Keith’s eye, his right hand casually slipping into his front pocket.

“The festival. Right.” That was a word for it at least. Shiro’s smile was crooked, but Keith thought he was still easily the most interesting thing on the field. “Mostly the smell of frying meat dragged us outta hiding.”

“I think you’re in the right place.” The vendor drawled, pointing at the grill he’d began to set up, and Shiro leaned over in curiosity. His stomach rumbled so loudly that even Keith had to laugh.

“They’ve got tacos!” Shiro sounded like he might have been in love. After two years in space eating jiggly green goo and who knew what else, Keith realized there were still things he missed. “I think I’m gonna get like twelve. I’ll bet I can eat more than you.”

“Then go do it.” Keith grinned. “I’m going to go see what else they have.”

“If they have anything on a stick, I want you to save me some.” Shiro said, his face utterly serious.

“No way, get your own.” He teased, but Shiro grabbed him by the shoulders and looked deeply into Keith’s eyes.

“I am going to eat your meat.”

“Oh my  _god_.” Keith smacked his chest hard and escaped to the sound of laughter. Shiro watched him go, openly enjoying the view.

It hadn’t sunk in yet, not really. Shiro couldn’t believe he was here, with Keith in every way that mattered, but at the same time, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. Who would be here with him, if not his best friend? There was a longing in his chest, made dull with satisfaction, but Shiro pretended he didn’t see the jagged edges that lurked just beneath the surface. Fate so rarely worked in his favor, and Shiro didn’t want to admit he was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

For now, he could bury his concern in spiced meat and heartburn.

All around them, the festival was coming to life. Game booths galore popped up as soon as the food had been set. There were horse rides from sleepy old mares, and a merry go round that probably should’ve been put out to pasture. An entire tent had been dedicated just to Bingo.

They really knew how to party, Shiro thought dryly.

The vendor came back with a truly obscene amount of tacos. Shiro almost had nothing to regret. “If you boys stick around, there’ll be fireworks tonight.”

There it was. Like he was someone’s eternal source of schadenfreude. Shiro could feel the corners of his smile sharpening into something cruel and cutting, like bits of glass were buried inside his mouth, and he could laugh through them.

“Isn’t that lucky,” He spat, and the vendor never noticed.

And that was  _fine._  That was fine. 

It wasn’t a problem. Shiro wouldn’t let it be. If he could deal with three hours of sleep a night with Keith less than an arm’s length away, if he could handle living in his mothers’ house and pretending that he was sane and normal for a goddamn week, he could handle a backwater light show.  _Blam blam blam_  wasn’t  _pow pow pow._

Things were finally looking up in a big way. Shiro wasn’t going to sabotage himself. When he left the stall, purchases in a paper bag, he was almost sure he could prove it. Except Keith wasn’t alone.

Shiro sauntered over to his friend, smile plastered across his face. He’d been able to forget what a mess he was for only a few hours, he should have known better than to let down his guard. He thought once he put some distance between him and the home that didn’t fit, it would get better, and for a few days, it had. Keith had helped him feel like he was normal again but it took something so small to remind him that he was just playing at being okay. 

“So you’re just passing though?” The blond man next to Keith asked, leaning in a little too closely though Keith didn’t seem to notice.

“Yes, we’re on a trip.”

“We’re a small town, but we’ve got some things to offer folks if they give us the time. We’ve got some pretty  _impressive_  sights, actually.  If you’d like, I can show you around?”

Maybe it wasn’t fine.

Shiro swallowed down the feeling like he needed to grab Keith and run. He wasn’t going to have a break down in public like this, not after things had been going so well, but he hadn’t counted on a sudden frustrated flare of jealousy. It was stupid and irrational, he knew that immediately, but it didn’t stop the twist of unhappiness of having some random stranger try to hit on Keith in the middle of their first almost date.

“Sorry to interrupt, but can I borrow you?” Shiro said evenly, but the guy didn’t get the hint.

“Give us a minute, buddy. We’re just getting to know each other.”

Shiro scowled, the tension in his shoulders sharpening like the bite of a knife. Keith still beat him to the punch. Keith had a way of doing that.

“No, we’re not.” He said, eyes narrowed into slits, angling himself forward, just enough to put himself between Shiro and whatever was making things difficult. He didn’t care whether it was clueless jerks or speeding bullets, and Shiro was almost bowled over by a warm rush of affection. It was just as strong as the shame that came with it.

With pointed intent that was impossible to miss, Keith wrapped his arm around Shiro’s and pulled.

“Hey…” Keith started, and Shiro knew him well enough to read the discomfort in his tone. Shiro could still feel the stranger staring. He grit his teeth and dragged Keith forward instead, because in that moment, it seemed better than hearing whatever Keith had to say.

“Look at this, ring toss. I haven’t seen this in… years.”

“Shiro, that guy’s not a problem.”

Shiro could feel his expression grow brittle around the edges, but he sold his smile for all it was worth. “I know.” Did he know?

“What’s wrong?”

Keith’s question was laced with worry, but Shiro brushed it aside. “Nothing’s wrong.” He said more sharply than he meant and kept pulling Keith down the street. “I just want to play a game or something. That’s what you do at a fair, right?”

“I don’t know.” Keith watched him warily as they stopped in front of one of the booths. “I thought you were hungry.”

“What, are you afraid I’m going to beat you? You’re not scared, are you?” Shiro mocked lightly, gesturing to the ring toss. “Or how about the Test of Strength. You might have done a lot of training this past year, but I still think you’ve got a way to go.” He flexed, fixed Keith with a challenging grin.

His dare was as forced as his smile, but Keith just gave him a strange look and Shiro was glad he didn’t ask any more questions. He paid the vendor of the Test of Strength and hefted the hammer, showing off for Keith before slamming it down on the pad. The bell at the top dinged and Shiro whooped in victory, giving his friend a wink. “See? I told you. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

“Congrats, kid, you win a prize,” the vendor replied, waving her hand blandly at the rack of pinned toys. Shiro beamed despite himself, until Keith’s new friend showed up. Keith had to wait his turn on the mallet.

“Not bad. Hey Lex, let me get a shot at that. Show these folks how it’s really done out here.” The smile he sent Keith was all teeth, and it looked like he’d forgotten Shiro existed at all. Shiro got some satisfaction out of seeing Keith react in no way at all. He still gave up the mallet and took a step back, and when blondy took a swing, he sent the metal bit skyward. It hit the bell at the end of the pole with a sharp ting.

But a few seconds slower than Shiro had.

“Funny. We were doing fine without you.” Shiro said, in a tone pitched to carry.

He was rewarded with a dry scowl as the blond rounded on him, looking him up and down in a way that felt distinctly territorial. “It sure looked like your friend was bored.”

And Shiro bristled.

“I don’t know why you’re not getting the hint-”

Behind them, the quick, clear ding of a bell sounded, followed by a hollow thud, and they both turned to see Keith dusting his hands off, the bell at the very top knocked clear off.

“How’d you do that?” The farm boy breathed, utterly surprised.

Keith fixed him with a stern stare, and replied without a hint of humor, “I’m an alien.”

Shiro was completely charmed. He burst out laughing, as the blonde sputtered. Keith ignored them both, choosing a small, cheap stuffed dog as his prize.

“Can we eat now?” Keith sounded bored and Shiro slung a possessive around him, leaving the farm boy behind. As soon as they were out of earshot, Keith’s scowl deepened. “You’re acting weird. I don’t need you picking fights with people, it’s stupid.”

Shiro deflated a little, hunching his shoulders before trying to salvage the evening. “It was all in good fun, it wasn’t anything serious. Just forget about it, let’s have fun, okay? If you’re hungry, let’s go back and get some of those tacos plus I saw some fried dough. It’s been ages since I’ve had any of that.”

“Or you could tell me what’s going on because you know I’m not good at guessing.” Keith stopped and fixed him with a steady stare. “None of this is like you. You were fine when we left the motel and all of a sudden, you’re aggressive and hypercompetitive. I thought you were the one saying we should just relax on this trip and not worry about the things that go wrong. Did I do something?”

“I-” Damnit, it wasn’t ever fair when Keith picked up on his lessons so easily. “You’re right, I’m sorry. It wasn’t about that guy and it’s definitely not about you either. It’s me, I just, I didn’t want to ruin things by having one of my stupid problems.”

Keith’s expression softened, and he leaned more heavily against Shiro, turning into his sleeve until he could nudge him. He didn’t push. He never did. Never asked for more than Shiro was willing to give, never expected thanks for staying, and that hurt in a way Shiro couldn’t prepare for. Keith deserved so much more. Keith deserved a life where he wasn’t afraid everyone would leave. He was amazing, and Shiro didn’t think he told him enough.

“There are going to be fireworks tonight.” Shiro said, but the words felt like they were caught in his throat. No explanation could soften the blow to his pride, and he suspected he’d already said too much. Then Keith just nodded, giving his metal arm a gentle tug.

“Let’s get out of here.” Keith tugged on his hand as he spoke, guiding Shiro through the field, back towards  their motel. Shiro let him take two steps, before pressing himself against Keith’s back, embracing him from behind. He buried his face in Keith’s hair, inhaling deeply like he could feel tension coursing through his veins. Shiro didn’t care who saw.

The way Keith held on told him he really didn’t mind.

“How about fried dough on our way out?”

Shiro breathed out a laugh. “Deal.”

They gathered up their fried treasures and headed back to the motel, barricading themselves in the tiny room and turning the ancient TV up loud enough to drown out the sound of explosions. Keith didn’t judge his weaknesses, deep down Shiro knew he wouldn’t, but it didn’t make them any easier to admit. He’d been so much stronger once, now he was sick to his stomach at thought of harmless fireworks, trying to overcompensate to prove he was okay. But he wasn’t okay, he wasn’t ever going to be the same again.

Somehow, that didn’t seem as overwhelming when Keith was by his side. He didn’t have to pretend to be anything other than what he was. It was going to take a long time to be able to accept how he’d change and be comfortable with his new vulnerabilities, but he didn’t have to do it alone.

“Here.” Keith murmured, almost out of nowhere, and out of his pocket he pulled out a tiny squished stuffed dog, one ear higher than the other, it’s little black eyes sweet, if a little lopsided. “Got it for you while you were busy being a dick.”

Shiro cooed, more sincerely than he’d intended and stroked along its fuzzy snout. “You remembered.”

“It seemed important to you.” Keith shrugged. Shiro felt it more than saw, but Keith didn’t relax all the way afterwards. Shiro moved his new companion to Keith’s lap, so it was staring up at both of them.

“I don’t think I want a real dog yet,” he confessed at length. “I think I like the idea of one. The idea of coming back, but it’s- not just different, it’s jarring like.”

“Like you expect the sky to be a different color?” Keith ventured. Shiro cracked a smile.

“Yeah. Something like that.”

Keith was quiet for a long while, absently petting the stuffed dog’s brow like it could react in any way. “You could still get a dog. Just because things are different, doesn’t mean everything has to be.”

“I wouldn’t want everything to be different.” Shiro said. “I want you with me. That feels right… That feels real _._ ”

They stuffed themselves with tacos and fried dough before curling up beside each other. When the first firework burst and Shiro tensed, Keith just turned the old rerun of I Love Lucy up even higher and pulled Shiro in tighter without a word.

Yeah, they could do this together.

Sleep wouldn’t come easy. Maybe it was the smell of lingering smoke or the phantom crackle of explosions that’d long ended, but even with a real bed beneath him, Shiro struggled to rest. Keith didn’t say anything, his breathing giving away his awareness, but he kept Shiro tucked against his side as the last of the festival’s celebrations petered out.

In the morning, they would collect their car and get back out on the road. Too many delays had cut their trip short, and they wouldn't be able to go as far as they hoped, but Shiro found he didn’t mind that too much. He’d already found the best part of his trip. Keith was still by his side.


	5. Day 5: Swimming

This was paradise.

Or as close as Shiro thought they could come to it. Keith had been right, he’d set the perfect destination for their sometimes aimless roadtrip and their last few days would be spent here, miles away from civilization with no one but each other for company. Even if they’d never made it as far as Keith had hoped, they’d found a way to make the most out of their roadblocks. They’d already set up their tent and gathered up firewood, taking advantage of the golden late afternoon sunshine. Shiro planned on getting the campfire started before the sun went down, but right now, all he wanted to do was sit and relax.

The woods were lush green in the summer heat as birds and squirrels dashed among the leaves. Their campsite opened up to a small lake, almost as round as a coin, and completely isolated. The water was so clear that Shiro could see the smooth polished stone at the bottom and the quicksilver fish that darted away whenever they saw his shadow. It was quiet and peaceful, except for the faint sound of their portable radio and Keith loudly crunching Doritos in his ear.

“How did you even find this place?” He asked as Keith scooted closer, holding out the chips like an offering. Shiro grabbed a handful.

“Internet? I had a lot of time last week to look up camping sites where we didn’t have to fight a hundred RVs with screaming kids.”

“Good call.”

“Thanks.” Keith waited until the moment Shiro meant to swallow his chip before adding, “Still wished we could’ve gone to that  _Musume_. I wanted to see if aliens were real.”

Shiro choked and laughed, and Keith couldn’t be anything but shamelessly smug.

They settled in a comfortable silence, reveling in the quiet satisfaction of finally being able to stretch their legs. In the background, a lazy humming melody came on air that made Shiro want to inch closer to the fire and close his eyes for a little while. It struck Shiro then, a calm, undeniable clarity that he’d last felt right before sending in his application to Kerberos. Maybe that had been a mistake, he couldn’t be sure, but he’d never felt so light.

“There’s no one I would to share this more with than you.”

Keith quirked a brow. “Good, since I’m the only one here.”

“Lucky how that turned out.” Shiro said with a lopsided grin.

“It wasn’t luck, there was a lot of hard work and planning that went into it.” Keith lapsed into silence before he asked the question that he’d been holding tight in his chest for days. “When did you know?”

“Hm?” Shiro looked over, one eyebrow quirked. “Know that I was on a trip with only you? Probably about two days in, I was pretty suspicious of that rolled up sleeping bag for a while. It looked pretty shifty.”

“Shiro, I’m serious.” Keith leaned over to bump his friend with his shoulder, unable to hide his smile. “I mean, me. Us. Whatever this is. When did you know?”

“Oh.” He chuckled a little and wrapped his arm around Keith’s shoulders, pulling the other man in against him. “That’s easy. I guess it started back the first time I saw you fly the simulator in your first year, you were just a freshman and it was clear you were something special. You had this look on your face when you got out that was half-proud and half dare, like you were expecting someone to try and take your score away from you. I had such a crush, it was embarrassing.”

Keith felt heat creep up into his face. “So long ago?” He barely remembered that test, it was just another obstacle like everything had been back then. A delay towards his dream of flying, bogged down by rules and regulations. Shiro had been the only one who bothered to try and know him, but he had no idea that his feelings had lasted all this time.

“Were you tutoring me then?” Keith sounded ashamed, but he hadn’t pulled away, so Shiro held on tighter, even if it made Keith squirm.

“Yeah, but also a little before that.”

Shiro watched recognition bloom across Keith’s face, before everything shut it down, like Keith had pulled a mask over his smile. “I hated you back then.”

And Shiro realized it was embarrassment.

“I wouldn’t say hated, but I could tell a little, yeah.” Shiro laughed, because Keith looked so contrite, as if they’d only learned to get along yesterday. “You wouldn’t talk to me about anything other than the lesson plans. Getting you to speak was like pulling teeth. You’d ask a dozen questions at the start of every session, then go mute. It drove me up the wall.”

“I thought you were reporting everything I said to Iverson,” Keith said, flustered like not even gun fire could make him. He was equal parts apologetic and defensive, but in the end, regret won out in a big way. “I had enough black marks on my record. I thought you expected me to impress you. I’m sorry.”

“You always impressed me.” Something about that made Keith turn away, cheeks pinked in the light of the setting sun, and Shiro didn’t care that he had to crane his neck to see. It was worth it. “It’s fine, you weren’t rude or anything. You were the single most driven person I’d ever met. I didn’t think anything could get in your way. I just… wanted to talk to you more. But I think we worked out okay.”

“Yeah, I think we did.” Keith’s smile was tentative, testing out this new feeling and these new boundaries. It was a strange and fragile sort of feeling, a hope that he’d given up on too many times. He reached out and took Shiro’s hand, twining his fingers with the cool metal of Shiro’s and looking back out over the lake. “I wanted to tell you before Kerberos, but the right time never came up. I thought I’d lost you without ever telling you how I felt, and when we found you again…”

“Everything was different.”

“Not everything.” He squeezed Shiro’s hand. “I was lost without you, I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t come back. And next time if...” Keith’s voice dropped, afraid to say the words out loud like they could come true if he acknowledged them. “It could be any random Galra attack or an accident. It’s dangerous. We might never come back.”

Shiro hesitated, a quiet sort of surprise settling over him before he confessed, “We’ve never really talked about that.”

Keith shrugged because, no, they hadn’t. It was an unavoidable risk that they’d all shouldered. This was the first time any of the paladins had the chance to walk away from it, but this entire trip had been about choice. They both deserved that.

Then Shiro slid his hand free and reached out to tip Keith’s head up to look at him. He traced his thumb down the side of his face before he leaned forward and stole a kiss. Sweet and gentle and oh so willing, Keith opened for him, sharing a startled breath before melting into it. “We decided to take that risk, and I want to take this one too. Whatever happens, I want to be with you.”

It was terrifying to think about how quickly this could all come apart. Their enemies weren’t always going to be powerful and intimidating, but they didn’t need to be. All it would take was one lucky shot in the worst sort of circumstances. It was a possibility they all knew could happen. Or Keith could decide he changed his mind about all this. Then Shiro didn’t know what he would do, because without Keith, he would be lost too.

Shiro knew there were some things they wouldn’t let happen, even if whatever they had didn’t work out. They were both too determined and too focused to let it hurt Voltron. Maybe they were just used to their personal concerns taking a backseat to their responsibilities. They hadn’t lived lives that allowed for much selfishness. And this thing, their bond, almost felt too selfish. Shiro didn’t know how it could feel this way, delicate and new, casting an unfamiliar glow on a well-worn friendship and turning it into something that looked completely different, but only for as long as it took him to recognize his best friend. It was fragile in one breath, but indestructible in the next, weighed down and braced by too much history and undeniable respect.

Shiro slowly combed Keith’s hair out of his face, tucking an errant strand behind his ear. “Please don’t stop being my friend, Keith. No matter what happens.”

He watched shock and confusion cut across Keith’s face, every emotion painted in broad strokes with too much honesty. When Keith told the truth, he told everything. And when fire lit behind his eyes, Shiro thought he would burn with him.

“Always.” Keith swore, pushing himself into Shiro’s space. The sudden weight of him made Shiro’s human arm buckle, but Keith just kept pushing. “No matter what, that won’t change.”

There was always the fear that what they built together in these quiet days wouldn’t last when they returned to space. They would have to face down their responsibilities again under the eyes of everyone they knew, but Shiro hoped that it would last. There was so much between them that was good and real, so much that shouldn’t change, but it was time that other things did. They’d been still too long, too afraid to take that next step or give words to their confessions. He wasn’t going to let them go back to their self-imposed silence ever again.

“Come on.” Shiro leaned in to steal a quick kiss with a casual intimacy that stole Keith’s breath away. “Let’s go swimming.”

“Let’s do what?” Keith made a loud noise of protest as Shiro pulled away and stood up. He made a distinctly less protesting noise when Shiro pulled his shirt off and set it carefully beside the tent.

“I’m tired of not taking the risk, so you and I are going to enjoy every last second of our time here. And I mean every second.” Shiro’s voice took on a playful note as he unbuttoned his pants, and Keith’s mouth fell open slightly. “I’m not wasting any more time.”

He liked the way Keith’s eyes tracked down his body and the way the tension in the air had pulled wire tight. This was another step and another limit, learning how to bring it all down so they could build something new. Besides, it had been a long time since anyone had looked at him like this with his body scarred and burned. Keith didn’t see scars or demand stories, and Shiro was never so grateful.

Shiro turned his back to Keith and pulled his pants down over his hips, letting them fall to the ground. He stretched back on his toes, showing off the muscles of his back with calculated purpose.

“You are such an ass, you know that? No one else ever believes me.” Keith rasped.

“And no one ever will.” There was a hint too much arrogance in his voice, but it was the satisfaction of a job well done, and Shiro looked over his shoulder just in time to watch Keith fight back a smile.

“Come on, Keith. If you’re scared, I can help you into the water,” Shiro said, in a tone that could have been supportive if it wasn’t pitched just so he could push every single one of Keith’s buttons. Keith growled, a sharp little thing soaked in annoyance, and as he pushed himself to his feet, gravel shifting beneath him, Shiro took off running.

The first splash of water was cold beneath his feet, and he inhaled sharply, ready to take things slower. Until long arms wrapped around his middle and he was tackled into the lake. Shiro didn’t even get to scream, the water cloudy with a thousand bubbles coming up around him. Then something kicked hard at his shins, and Shiro watched as Keith flailed his way to the surface. He came out sputtered, long black hair plastered to his face, and relieved. Then Shiro yanked him back under.

It was messy and silly, and Shiro vaguely remembered the first time he tried to spar with Keith, back when anger was his best friend’s shield and desperation his sword. Except this time Keith was sputtering and laughing, stuck between fury and delight, and when they finally got their balance back, he let Shiro hold him close, gasping for breath.

“You are such a jerk!” He yelled as Shiro just laughed and tickled his ribs until Keith splashed him.

“Here I was thinking you didn’t like my competitive side.” Shiro teased.

“I do, just when it’s something useful and not trying to show up some random Midwesterner.” Keith wrapped his arms around Shiro’s neck, pressing in closer to see how far they could go. There was nothing left between them but cool water and the last reflection of the sun’s light as it slipped between the surface.

“Mmm, I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll try harder next time.”

Keith pulled him down, sealing his mouth over Shiro’s, emboldened by the feel of slick bare skin across his own. He fit his body against his friend, daring and vulnerable all at once, as Shiro’s hands gentled and carefully slid down Keith’s sides. When he pulled away, they were both flushed despite the chill of the water, Keith’s lips shiny pink and so pretty that Shiro had a hard time looking away.

“I want you to know.” Shiro started, voice so hoarse that he had to clear his throat and try again. “I want you to know that whatever happens, that I’m glad I choose this. You and I are going to see this whole Voltron thing through to the end, that’s just who we are. Even if the others… However hard it gets, we’ll do it together.“

Keith quieted, his eyes flitting away as an old discomfort rose. The Red Paladin always looked so reserved, but Shiro knew that more than a little of that came from Keith not knowing if he was allowed to speak out. Not knowing if anyone would care to listen. Shiro wouldn’t push, but he would hold him, until Keith was ready.

"Do you think they’ll stay behind?”

Keith spoke like he was crossing a mine field, and the weight of the last two years turned its head. If Shiro tried, he knew he’d be able to find Her. His lion. She was always in his periphery, never obstructing, but a beacon he could find his way back to, if he chose to search. The Castle Ship was waiting for them just past Jupiter, somewhere the Alteans considered Earth’s back yard. And why not? With enough motivation, that was only a few seconds away. Shiro had once thought he’d spend his entire time on Earth remembering the new home he’d left behind. He wasn’t entirely wrong.

“Maybe.” Shiro conceded. It was a bitter sweet admission, one he’d tried to ignore ever since the offer was made.

“They’d deserve it.” Keith said. On anyone else, Shiro would have thought the words angry, but there was no one quite like Keith. “They deserve to be happy.”

He turned towards the sky, gaze faraway and misty, and Shiro thought Keith could find where his lion was too. But with his profile touched by moonlight, shadows sharpening the angles of his face, he didn’t look like he belonged on Earth. He looked like only the stars could touch him.

“They do.” Shiro agreed, and no matter what their team chose, they would celebrate not mourn. Because family was supposed to be on your side, even when it hurt. “Keith… Where would you go, after Voltron? If you could go anywhere.”

It broke his heart a little when Keith’s brows furrowed with hesitation.

“I don’t know.” The question seemed to take him by surprise and Shiro watched him grapple with the unfamiliar gifts of freedom and future. He’d trained his whole life for a single purpose, reaching the stars. He fought for others, putting his life on the line over and over again simply because someone had to. He faced down impossible odds to learn where he’d come from and had been ready to give up his quest, sacrificing his wants for everyone else. It was clear Keith had never even considered a time when he would be able to have the chance to decide his own fate, and Shiro ached for him.

“C’mon.” Shiro coaxed gently, tangling their legs together beneath the water. “Anywhere you want to go, anything you want to do.”

“I guess…I’d try to find out more about where I came from. I want to know where my family came from and how they got all the way to earth and why-, why everything.” Keith hadn’t ever said those words out loud to anyone before, wanting something for himself had always felt too selfish, but there was a piece of himself that was missing. A history that could fill in all those questions about who he was and what was his place in the universe. “It sounds stupid.”

“No, it’s important.” Shiro wouldn’t let him back down. “You’ll find the answers, I know you will. I’ve never met anyone more determined in my life.”

Keith tensed as he pressed closer, quietly hiding from the praise, but he still muttered a quiet thank you. “Maybe we’ll get an alien dog instead, it might suit you better.”

Shiro laughed, caught off guard and pleased by it. He could feel Keith’s grip tighten around his waist, his toes just barely touching the lake bed, and as the moon crawled across the sky, Shiro couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be.

Then Keith surged up and dunked Shiro under the water.


	6. Day 6: Recreation

It was way too early to be awake, but Shiro shook off the stiffness from sleeping on the ground all night and crawled out of the tent to greet the day. The sun was barely over the horizon as he stretched his arms above his head, letting his joints crack and yawning wide enough to almost dislocate his jaw. It was beautiful out here, it was hard to remember how Earth looked sometimes. He’d held on to the memories while he was with the Galra until they became too much. Each moment was about survival, he couldn’t waste energy on anything other than living to the next day.

Coming home again had been complicated, though he’d never have given up seeing his parents. They’d all spent the first few hours crying, trying to reassure each other they were alive. It had been difficult to process it all at once, the rush of relief and happiness and soul-crushing exhaustion. There’d been no responsibilities or demands, just his moms’ unconditional support. Whatever else had come with it, it helped him feel steady again in a way nothing else had since he’d left for Kerberos years ago. Shiro was grateful.

But this was a different sort of peace, a brightening summer day, simple and beautiful. The last day before they had to make their way back to the Castle and return to space, and Shiro didn’t want to miss a single minute of it.

He looked back at the tent where Keith was still sleeping and smiled. How had he ever gotten so lucky?

The last few days felt like a dream that he didn’t want to wake up from. Their entire trip did. It didn’t help that there was something lazy and disjointed about being stuck in a car for hours on end, with no familiar landmarks and the sun beating down through his window. So much of it had been flat out boring. There had been no distractions from the endless road. He’d first reminded Keith about their old Garrison plans on a whim, but a second after that, he’d worried that the trip would be excruciating. Shiro’d picked up a lot of baggage since he’d left for Kerberos, and he couldn’t seem to put it down.

It had been hard at first. Keith had been tense for reasons Shiro didn’t understand, and Shiro’d been so determined to prove to himself that he could be normal for a little while. But they’d been fallen to an old rhythm, one that was quiet and unobtrusive but wonderfully steady. It hadn’t magically fixed everything, but it helped convince Shiro that he didn’t need to be anywhere but in the front seat of his mom’s car. It kept him present and grounded. Keith always could.

And now he knew what kissing Keith felt like.

An embarrassing flush of pleasure blind-sided him, and Shiro finally looked away from the tent, feeling vaguely guilty. It was a good way to feel.

He’d been wanting for so long that he barely knew what to do now that it was real. Oh god, this was real. Shiro bit back a laugh, trying to keep himself still when all he wanted to do was yell at the top of his lungs. When a hand touched the small of his back, he almost did, nearly jumping out of his skin.

Keith mumbled something that might have been ‘good morning’ or could have just been a groan. He yawned, rubbing a hand across his face, squinting out at the morning like the sun had no right to rise so early. Dark hair tumbled across his face still messy from sleep and Shiro laughed, unable to resist running his hands through it. “You don’t have to be up yet.”

“You are.” Keith grumbled, but let himself melt into Shiro’s touch. “Is everything okay?”

“Mmhmm, just used to getting up early. I’m sorry I woke you.” He kissed the side of Keith’s face. “You should go back to bed for a little while, we don’t have to go anywhere or do anything today.”

The only answer was a grunt of disapproval as Keith twisted his hands into Shiro’s soft grey t-shirt and gave an insistent tug back towards the tent. Shiro chuckled and let himself be pulled back down into the soft nest of pillows and sleeping bags. “Alright, I can take a hint. You’re not very subtle.”

Normally this was the part of day Keith would let himself be woken up with a morning run. Except they’d been doing nothing of the sort this vacation, and all the junk food made Shiro  _oily_ at the worst sort of times, but it was a welcome oily. Sort of.

It was welcome though, when he could nudge against Keith, and on a whim, gently smoothed back his hair. He could see the way Keith’s shoulders loosened, preparing to drift off all over again, as Shiro wrapped himself around him. To most people, Keith seemed intimidatingly distant, but Shiro knew better. Distance wasn’t brought about by an aversion to touch, but the uncertainty that he’d be welcomed. Shiro’d made it his personal mission to make up for every time Keith had been let down.

“Why’re you smiling?” Keith grumbled. It sounded like an accusation, and he didn’t even need to open his eyes all the way. Shiro hummed, moving his hand from Keith’s shoulder to down the length of his side, and Keith arched into him, mumbling under his breath. Shiro’s stopped at his waist, settling in the gentle curve right above his hip, and Shiro’s mouth went dry as he squeezed, just so.

“I just really like you a lot.”

Keith snorted. “I’d like you better if you’d stop disappearing on me. It’s rude when your pillow just walks away.”

“I’m sorry, I’m right here.” Teasing was easier than the sudden flare of desire that shot through him as he looked down into Keith’s half-lidded eyes, his friend sleep-tousled and completely relaxed. It was a side of Keith that few ever saw, he held himself with such a tense readiness and was always prepared for something to go wrong. Here, pliant and smiling, Shiro felt his heartbeat skip.

And damn him, Keith noticed too. His violet eyes sharpened into something calculated as he looked at Shiro, his smile growing a lazy edge to it. Wicked mischief thrummed down Keith’s body where he’d just been soft and tired, and before Shiro could react, he found himself flat on his back staring up at the ceiling of the tent. Keith’s hips slid perfectly into his own, his weight pinning Shiro down. As he moved, Shiro could feel each taut, lean muscle tense beneath Keith’s skin until he lay almost against Shiro’s chest.

Warm breath buzzed against his ear, sending shivers down to Shiro’s toes. “I can think of a way to make sure that you don’t go anywhere.”

“O-oh?”

“Mmhmm. It’s our last day, I don’t plan to spend any of it walking around.”

 _Oh_.

It was like the world came to a halt on the tip of Keith’s smile, and Shiro couldn’t seem to find his bearings because after all this time, it caught him off guard that the person he wanted most in the entire universe wanted him back just as much.

Keith watched with such sharp intensity, that Shiro was sure one of them was going to get cut on it. It was like the first time he’d found himself on the ledge of the great canyons around the Garrison, on a hoverbike that wasn’t his, with an engine rumbling beneath him. And the knowledge that Shiro could make it go so much faster.

It had been a long time since risk for the sake of it made him coil with anticipation. When he’d taken those risks, there was only one person he’d wanted by his side.

Shiro curled his hand around the back of Keith’s nape, his fingers tangling with long strands of dark hair, and Keith shivered against him. “A whole day? I don’t know. Maybe I need a little convincing.”

Keith didn’t need words to respond, he was better with actions anyways. Sleep was forgotten as he closed the few inches between him and kissed Shiro hard, knocking him back. He caught Shiro’s bottom lip between his teeth, biting down hard enough to make him gasp so he could slip his tongue inside. Shiro surrendered so sweetly.

The week alone had made Keith brave, teasing kisses and intimate touches, leaving him needing more before they left this lonely place. He settled on Shiro’s hips, legs spread wide to straddle him before finally letting his friend up for air. Shiro gave him a dazed, unfocused look as he reached out to run his fingers through Keith’s hair.

“Keith, you’re so…you’re beautiful.” He breathed and Keith felt a rush of pleasure down to his toes. No one ever looked at him like that or said his name in such a ragged whisper. Shiro looked awed and Keith decided he could get used to it. He slid his hands beneath the soft cotton t-shirt, peeling it back so he could lean down and drag wet, open-mouth kisses down Shiro’s trembling skin.

Keith tossed Shiro’s shirt somewhere, he wasn’t sure. It was immediately forgotten. Jagged lines cut across his chest, old scars bleeding into new ones that paladin armor hadn’t been able to stop. There was so much Shiro had already given up, so much he hated to show, and sometimes it was too difficult for Keith to think about. But when Shiro was like this, stretched out beneath him and so eagerly wanting, the past couldn’t touch them. All Keith wanted to do was touch.

He pressed a kiss to Shiro’s chest, just above his beating heart, and felt his partner quiver for him. Shiro was so responsive. They were just getting started.

“I think you’re convinced.” He teased, nuzzling against Shiro’s shoulder, craning up to kiss the underside of his jaw. He felt Shiro’s chest heave when his breath hitched, his eyes fluttering shut. Keith didn’t know how to stop and didn’t want to learn.

“Very.” Shiro croaked, but it was all he managed as Keith lightly traced his nails down Shiro’s chest and he arched up under the touch. Keith knew he was impatient and direct, but the hunger in Shiro’s eyes was too good an opportunity to waste. He sat back and slowly stripped off his own shirt, stretching his hands above his head until he touched the ceiling of the tent. Shiro looked like he was going to devour him and Keith smiled, bringing his hands down his own body.

It was more than Shiro could stand and he gripped Keith’s waist, rocking up against him. He was hard beneath his loose sweatpants, Keith could feel him thick between his thighs and moved to meet Shiro’s rhythm.

Close, but not close enough. The fabric bunched between them and Keith wanted more, wanted to feel the heat from Shiro’s skin. He slid back and hooked his fingers into the hem of Shiro’s pants, impatiently working them down. Shiro lifted his hips to help as he was stripped and Keith sat back to admire his prize. Shiro’s legs were well-muscled, spread wide for him already. Dark hair trailed down from his belly to his cock that curved up, already eager while Keith preened.

This wasn’t just for him, it was  _because_  of him. He could break down Shiro’s legendary control and leave him desperate.

“Are you just gonna look at it?” Shiro grumbled, sounding suspiciously restrained. Keith snorted.  
  
“Maybe I’m enjoying the view.”   
  
“It goes away if you leave it alone enough.”  
  
Keith barked out a laugh, Shiro was practically whining, and it was probably the best thing he’d ever heard. Then Shiro tightened his grip and tugged him down in one impatient roll, and Keith hit the ground with a thud. Before he could complain, Shiro was crawling on top of him, concerned and smug in equal measure. Keith met him halfway, until he was laughing into his mouth, grinding against him as he licked away the last of Shiro’s pout.  
  
“You’re an ass.” Keith accused, without any sort of heat.  
  
“Yeah,” Shiro answered. “But I’m yours.”  
  
It was almost a question, shy behind bravado, and for a second, Keith’s chest felt like it was going to burst.  “All mine.” He rasped, suddenly dizzy with how badly he wanted him.  
  
Keith couldn’t take his pants off fast enough. Shiro moved against him, slotting their bodies together until their knees knocked and toes touched. Keith pushed himself between Shiro’s thighs, bringing them even closer, the heat of him smooth against Keith’s skin.  
  
“I wanted to fuck you the first time we did this.” Keith said. It was as close to a complaint as he was getting and Shiro went pink. 

“Next time, we’ll be more prepared.” He whispered, body already responding to the image of Keith fucking deep inside of him, clenching down around him. They hadn’t brought lube, he hadn’t assumed that they’d-, Shiro never thought it would go so far. He could have kicked himself.

“As long as you promise me there’ll be a next time.”

“I promise. So many times.” Shiro rocked against him, small thrusts against Keith’s stomach. It was barely enough, the tease of friction when he wanted so much more. There would be a next time, they weren’t going to let this new truth between them fade away when they returned to space. They would make the time to explore each other and to love.

Keith worked his hands between them, wrapping his hands around their cocks with a squeeze just hard enough to leave Shiro dizzy for a moment. He thrust through the tight ring of his fingers, fucking up against Shiro who groaned and tried to match his rhythm. Precum dripped down his hands as each thrust sent a shiver of pleasure racing through them, slow and gentle and demanding more.

It was an awkward angle navigated by touch alone, but when he moved to swipe his thumb across the head of Shiro’s cock, his partner groaned so prettily. “You like it when I do that?” Keith whispered.

“I like it whenever you touch me,” Shiro rasped, arching into him like he couldn’t help himself. He tried to spread his legs further, begging for closer when there was no closer to give. His fingers curled around Keith’s hip so tightly they promised to leave bruises, but Keith reveled in their possessiveness. He could understand the fear of letting go.   
  
“Keith there- just there come on-!”  
  
Shiro’s mouth fell open around a groan and Keith took him apart, licking into his soft warmth to paint all the things he could never say on Shiro’s tongue. I want you I need you I dreamed about you long before I missed you.   
  
Shiro was a wall of muscle and heat, pressing against Keith with hungry insistence. He couldn’t move without feeling him, his own pleasure intertwined with how tightly Shiro held on and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He was so close, pressure burning in his belly and spreading across his thigh. Strong metal fingers curled over his fist, strengthening his grip as he fucked into the tight wet space between them, the long drag of Shiro’s cock pressing against him so good that Keith snarled. Arms trembling, his knees gone weak with pleasure, he crashed into Shiro and swore, “I used to touch myself imagining you were inside me.”  
  
Shiro gasped, and then he was quivering for him, coming in long thick stripes across his belly. Keith rolled him over, victory and satisfaction given teeth as he ground into the wet on his lover’s belly. Shiro was a wreck, his eyes unfocused, mouth open and panting like they’d gone ten rounds against a gladiator bot. He hadn’t even pulled away.   
  
“Keith,” he whispered, voice fucked raw and tender. Keith couldn’t even recognize him. “Keith please…”  
  
It was too much.  
  
Keith pulled himself up on his knees, thighs as wide as they’d go, and with Shiro watching, he touched until he came all over Shiro’s chest. 

Shiro dragged his fingers through the mess in awe, chest heaving and skin still mottled red from the exertion. He looked at Keith in helpless adoration before giving up completely, going limp on the tangled nest of sleeping bags and laughing. Keith curled up beside his best friend, exhausted and feeling altogether extremely proud of himself.

“Was it good?”

“Good? Oh god, so good. You’re so good.” Shiro rolled over and squished Keith’s face between his hands to kiss him before flopping back. It took every bit of his strength to throw his arms around Keith and pull him close.

“Good.” Keith grabbed Shiro’s t-shirt and wiped down the mess with a scowl. “I’ve been waiting so long to do that.”

Silence pulled around them like a blanket, warm and comfortable. They didn’t speak because there was no need for words, every meaning conveyed by touch.  _I love you. I’ve always loved you_. They drowsed, wrapped in each other and nothing else, listening to the sound of birds and the soft lapping of the lake outside of their tent.

Keith didn’t know how long they spent like that, drifting in and out of easy sleep, before he finally broke that silence. “Can we stay like this for the rest of today?”

“Mmm, okay”

“Can we stay like this forever?”

Shiro’s grip tightened around him, his lips curving into a smile that he pressed against the side of Keith’s head. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”


	7. Day 7: Conclusion

They didn’t do anything on the last day of their trip.

That made it perfect.

The next morning, they packed up camp and set out with the dawn. Somehow it felt like there wasn’t enough space in the trunk of the car for all their stuff, even though they’d left behind all the snacks they’d brought along. In a rare show of nonchalance, Shiro shoved everything into the backseat and called it good. Keith thought that was hilarious but he wasn’t inclined to correct him.

A sense of calm followed them on the drive home, the silence interrupted only by whatever radio station they could find. In between them, squished into the compartment behind the gear stick was Rocket, Shiro’s stuffed dog, the fluff on his head dancing in the air conditioner’s fan. Every now and then, Keith would look over, and the corner of Shiro’s mouth would quirk into a smile.

They were going back the same way they’d left, and nothing had changed, not really. It was a shift that amounted to little more than a fraction of an inch, like everything had been nudged slightly to one side, but the difference was remarkable. And it was… it was good. It was better than good.

Keith wouldn’t have it any other way.

At the Shirogane residence, Shiro’s moms were waiting for them, ready to pull both of them into their arms with tears and last minute gifts. Keith didn’t know how to respond, but Shiro’s arm was slung possessively around his shoulders and he let himself be coddled. It was a strange feeling to know that this time, he’d be missed. They invited him to breakfast, and this time, Keith stayed.

The Castle had nestled itself in a field in the middle of nowhere, far enough from any cities or towns big enough to notice a giant alien space ship. They didn’t know how they managed to avoid being detected, but there were plenty of things that Allura didn’t tell them and they didn’t bother to ask. It was another little drive, but this time, they were in the backseat, listening to Shiro’s parents fill the silence, and if anyone’s voice broke, or got misty-eyed at the worst time, no one said a thing.

This time, the goodbyes would be different.

There wouldn’t be any disappearances or funerals without a body, they were going to do this right. The others were already there, Pidge hugging her mother tight and Hunk’s father shaking hands with Coran. They waved when their car pulled up. No one seemed surprised that Shiro and Keith had arrived together.

“You’re going to be careful, right? Promise me.” Shiro’s mom said, kissing her son’s cheek and wiped away a tear.

“I promise. I’ll keep in touch and I’ll come home.”

“Good.” She turned to press a kiss to Keith’s cheek too. “You too, come home to us safe.”

“I-I, okay.” Keith stammered, ducking his head in embarrassment.

“We never did get a chance to go to Thanksgiving, all those years ago.” She said, her smile softening into something that felt far too honest. Keith wasn’t sure how to respond, uncomfortable at the best of times but even more so when he wanted to make things right. They pulled him away from Shiro with a grin, one of his mothers hugging her son tight, the other with her arms wrapped around Keith.

“You’re just as handsome as he said you were.” She said softly as Keith inhaled sharply at the compliment.

“He talked about me?” Even after everything, Keith couldn’t believe that this was all real. But Shiro’s mom’s smile widened, happiness crinkling in the corners of her eyes as she squeezed both of his arms.

“He’s been talking about you since you were in school together. His smart best friend, how well you could fly, how happy he was when you were together. We never had a chance to meet you before this, but we always felt like we knew you. We’re going to miss him, but it’s better knowing that you’re going to be right there with him. And we want you  _both_  to come back to us, okay? You’re a part of this family too.”

Keith could only nod mutely as she hugged him again, clinging to her as tightly as he had his own mother when he was just a child. A family? A real family who cared about him and would miss him and was waiting for him to come home. Shiro would never know how much this gift could ever mean to him.

Then Shiro was there with a hand on his shoulder, centering him with more than Keith could ever hope for.

“Next time,” he said. He really hoped it was a promise he could keep. “I’m looking forward to everyone being here for Thanksgiving. We’ll do something big, enough food for days of sandwiches afterwards.”

“And cranberry sauce that’s still in the shape of its can, just like you like it.” His ma said.

It didn’t feel so impossible this time. Hunk and Pidge had set up a human calendar to keep on the ship. Maybe coming home wouldn’t have to feel so painful.

There was a moment where the paladins could only look at one another, nervous glances exchanged in a heartbeat, like each of them was afraid to make the first move. They were all carrying luggage of some kind, even if Keith’s was mostly junk shop souvenirs. It wasn’t too late to turn back. The universe had already taken enough from all of them.

Then Shiro took the first step forward, and Keith wouldn’t let himself get left behind. Pidge gave her mom one last bone-crushing hug, and Lance detangled himself from the mob of siblings who’d come to see him off so he could clap Hunk on the shoulder.

“You sure about this?” Keith asked, because no one ever asked Shiro. Even if it was just one last time, he thought someone should.

Shiro turned to him, his expression warm and open. Keith thought he was the most breathtakingly beautiful person he’d ever seen. Then he leaned down and kissed him, in front of family and friends, all the people in Keith’s life who ever mattered.

Lance leaned over towards Hunk, shocked down to his core, and fake whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear. “Are they a thing? When did they get to be a thing? No one told me they were a thing!  Shiro likes dudes? Keith likes  _anybody_?” Hunk snorted and grabbed his best friend, dragging him towards the Castleship as Lance continued to protest. “Why doesn’t anybody ever just tell me these things?!”

Hand in hand, Shiro and Keith waved goodbye and joined them. Who knew what this next adventure would bring or what dangers they would face, but they were ready together.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find Dans on tumblr [here.](http://itdans.tumblr.com/)  
> Rune's tumblr is [here](http://runicscribbles.tumblr.com/) and twitter is [here.](http://twitter.com/runicscribbles)
> 
> Please comment if you enjoyed! Come say hello. :)


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